We've recovered cars off the A9 in February that had a hi-vis vest and a Mars bar in the boot. That isn't a winter kit — that's a polite gesture toward one. Scotland in winter can mean three hours stationary on a closed road with no signal and no heat. Your car becomes a small metal shelter. Here's how to make sure it's a survivable one.
Pre-made 'AA-style' winter kits look reassuring but often contain a thin foil blanket, a flimsy torch and a tow rope you wouldn't trust with a wheelbarrow. Build your own around a small holdall: proper insulated blanket(s), warm hat and gloves, hi-vis vest, LED head-torch with spare batteries, an ice scraper that's actually rigid, jump pack, jumper cables as backup, tyre inflator, shovel for snow clearance, drinking water, high-energy snacks, phone power bank.
A foil emergency blanket reflects body heat but doesn't insulate. Combine one foil blanket per person with a proper wool or fleece blanket. In a stationary car at 0°C, this is the difference between mildly uncomfortable and genuinely hypothermic over 4 hours.
A lithium jump pack with USB output covers two jobs: starts the car when the battery dies in the cold, and charges your phone for 5+ days if you're stranded. Combine with a small folding solar panel if you do remote Highland driving regularly. Don't rely on the car's USB ports — a flat car can't charge your phone.
If you commute in office shoes, throw a pair of boots into the boot from October to March. Walking 2 miles to the next farmhouse in trainers through 6 inches of snow is misery; in boots it's an inconvenience. Same for a warm coat — the one you'd take for a Highland walk, not a 'looks-smart-at-the-office' one.
Power bank, hi-vis vest, a paper map of the area (mobile signal is fictional north of Pitlochry), and a what3words location ready to give to recovery. Police Scotland recommend telling someone your route on long winter journeys — and sticking to it.
Winter tyres or all-season M+S (legal and increasingly common in Scotland), antifreeze tested annually, screenwash to -15°C minimum, fully-charged battery, fuel never below ¼ tank in winter (running out of fuel in a snowdrift is now down to your decisions, not bad luck).
Legally no, but on rural and Highland routes they transform handling below 7°C. All-season M+S is the popular compromise.
A lithium jump pack with USB output. Does two critical jobs (start car, charge phone) and weighs under a kilo.
Yes — high-energy bars that don't freeze hard (avoid chocolate which goes inedible at low temps). Rotate every 6 months.
If you live north of the Central Belt or commute on rural roads — yes. A small folding shovel weighs nothing and clears the path away from drifted wheels.
Twice a year minimum (October and April). Test torches, replace batteries, check screenwash and antifreeze.
Bob's Mechanical Repairs — independent family-run garage in Birnam, Dunkeld, Perthshire. Call 01350 727 276 or email [email protected].